To See With Sound
by KvothKingkiller
Summary: A blind Eren who goes to college with his friends. He is a freshman, Levi is a junior. Also partly a coffee shop AU. Levi/Eren. Painter Levi and Hacker Armin.
1. Chapter 1

Eren POV

Even if Eren couldn't see, his other senses made up for it. His hearing was incredible and he seemed to have a sixth sense of when something was about to hit him and he acted with fast reflexes. One of the things he enjoyed most was food, to taste every ingredient that was put into something. This, of course, led to his love for cooking. He could find ingredients by smell and touch, and regularly cooked for his family. It also led him to meet one of his best friends, Sasha. She loved to eat, and she was far more obsessed with food then he was. Thankfully her appetite matched her cooking skill as well. Every weekend she would come over with Armin and they would make a feast. Those were the best days of Eren's life. Happy memories, happy family. Now, everything was different.

When Eren was seventeen his mother died. Yes, died. Not passed away, or joined God, she died. Brutally. Armin and Eren had been the ones to find her. Later, Eren forced Armin to tell him what he saw. The front door had been bashed in and things were broken and torn off walls, it looked like a tornado went through the place. She was in the living room, on her back with her throat slit open. There was blood everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, on the furniture. On her. The killer had also slashed at her chest and arms. But it was the throat cut that killed her. The cops concluded it as a robbery/murder and closed the case. Eren always thought it was something more than that, nothing was taken, just destroyed, and the way she looked and was killed almost seemed personal. No one believed him anyhow. "It's just grief."

One year later his Dad remarried. A woman named Mary who came out of nowhere, along with the wedding. She had a daughter named Mikasa who became Eren's stepsister. He hated his stepmother because he couldn't help feel like she was trying to replace his mother. He felt guilty about it, but he couldn't help it. He chose to avoid her in fear of saying something he would regret later. His relationship with his father was a lost cause, it had been ever since his mother died.

However, after a few months, him and Mikasa grew really close. They clicked almost instantly. He tried to avoid her like her mother but she pursued after him relentlessly. She told him that her father was murdered when she was around ten years old. And, like Eren, she had found the body. Once her mother had grieved she trained and studied to become a police officer, which is what she is today. That's how their parents met, when Grisha was brought in for questions after his wife's murder. Eren felt sick after hearing that, thinking his father never really grieved at all. If he ever cared.

Armin and Sasha had stuck to him through all those months, keeping him from falling under. Now, he was attending college as a freshman two hours away from home, in Sina. Mikasa, Armin, and Sasha followed him there. Armin, being the genius he is, got a full ride scholarship. Mikasa got a half scholarship. Eren and Sasha had gotten partial scholarships and took out loans. Armin chose to study computer science, Mikasa chose athletic training, and Eren and Sasha, of course, chose the culinary arts.

Luckily Eren was able to room with Armin while Mikasa and Sasha had strangers. Of course, they were stuck in the freshmen dorms. Eren couldn't wait until they got their own place.

They had just hauled all their crap up to the third floor and found their rooms. Mikasa was four doors down while Sasha was a floor above them. Armin had dragged Eren excitedly to their room. Armin threw the door open and ran inside. Eren was a bit behind, dragging his hand on the wall and counting the doors from the elevator. Seven. And the number on the door was 308. Eren heard Armin shuffling about the room.

"Eren, right or left side?" He shrugged.

"You pick."

"I'll choose the right, then!" Eren stepped forwards, leaning his walking stick next to the door. He hated the stick, hated it for labeling him. It did have its perks though, like people getting out of his way, or helping him around, or letting him cut in line, etc. Eren stretched out his hands the side and got a feel for the room and obstacles in his path. He had a bed, dresser, and nightstand with a lamp on it. On the back wall in the middle was a window. His hand found another dresser and he stopped, finding Armin's side of the room. He counted his steps from the window to the hall and back to his bed. He found his closest which had no curtain, basically a hole in the wall. However, his closet jutted out farther then Armin's. His hand rounded the corner to find another door.

"Armin?" He heard Armin come over.

"Surprise! We have our own bathroom!" Eren raised an eyebrow. "Most rooms share a bathroom, four people to one, but we are in the corner of the building so it's just ours!" He clapped his hands excitedly. Thank god for no communal bathrooms, those would have been the death of him.

"I assume you had something to do with this?" Eren smiled.

"Well I might have hacked the database and changed the random room assignment a bit…" Armin chuckled. Eren shook his head.

"Thanks." There was a knock on the door followed by heavy pounding.

"Come on guys, I'm hungry!" Sasha pounded the door harder. It fell silent suddenly.

"Guys, I've got her! Hurry up!" Mikasa called from outside. Eren retrieved his cane and let Armin open the door. After not hearing any tackling he went out as well. Sasha was whining nonsense.

"I didn't know someone could get so excited for school food." Armin remarked.

"No, _college_food! And plus, it's food! Gotta try everything! Right, Eren?" Eren followed their voices, his hand again trailing from door to door.

"Yes, we do have a rule to try everything. But I'm sure after one taste you will be running to the kitchens." Sasha grumbled but fell silent. That's one thing he hated about the freshmen dorms, besides the fact they were freshmen dorms, is that they have only one kitchen per floor. And everyone shares. Eren, of course, brought all his own cooking ware, but he dreaded to find what state the kitchens would be in if he dared go and cook something. He had made a pact with Sasha that every time he went she would come as well.

"Speaking of cooking in kitchens, do you want to do something each weekend and hang out?" There was a tentative silence. After his mother died their weekend cooking stopped. Eren smiled.

"Yea, I would love that." He heard a sigh of relief but didn't know who it came from. It was Thursday and they made plans to go grocery shopping the next day and cooking on Saturday.

They ended up eating at Chick-fil-a and vowed to never return. They headed back to the dorms and Eren could hear Sasha skipping joyfully beside them.

"I don't know how you can move so much Sasha.." Armin groaned. "I'm afraid if I let go of my stomach I'll barf…" Sasha cackled.

"That was only the first! There are so many other places!"

"Count me out." Mikasa chimed in.

"Ugh, me too. What about you Eren?" Armin wove his arm with his. Eren's mouth twitched into a smile at his friends antics.

"Maybe that one place was just bad." Sasha cheered and grabbed Eren's other arm.

"You and me buddy, we will explore college food together!" Eren folded his cane and stuck it in his pocket. He didn't need it since he had his friends guiding the way. It was almost routine for them; at least one person would hold his arm and lead Eren around anything in his path and towards their destination. He trusted his friends completely and let himself be led. It made him feel normal sometimes.

"Oohh! Look, a coffee shop!" Sasha crowed and began pulling Eren off to the right. Armin had stopped and Eren found himself in a tug of war.

"Sashaaaaaaaa, let's go back…" Armin whined, pulling Eren the other direction.

"I'm up for some coffee." Mikasa chimed in.

"Traitor…" Eren laughed at Armin and tugged him along as Sasha led them over.

"What's it called?" He asked. He inhaled the smell of coffee beans and sighed. He lived for coffee.

"The Corps? What a strange name…" Sasha read the name but mispronounced it, causing Eren to think she called it something else.

"The Corpse? What the fuck?" Armin busted out laughing.

"Nono The Corps, c-o-r-p-s. Sasha said it wrong." Armin corrected.

"Not my problem it's not pronounced the way it's spelled…" Sasha huffed. Eren heard the bell above the door as they entered. Armin was still giggling and muttering "corpse" under his breath. Eren elbowed him in the side making him shut up. He could still fill tremors through the other boys arm on his. Eren inhaled deeply again.

"It smells good in here."

"Uh-huh." Mikasa agreed. They led him to the counter and listed off their orders, Eren going last so someone could tell him what was offered. He leaned over to Armin.

"What's the special?"

"Caramel Macchiato."

"Yuck. I'll just have a coffee frappuccino then."

"Mmk."

They were told that their drinks would be up shortly. Mikasa and Armin went to reserve a table while Sasha and Eren waited for the drinks. Eren didn't like to be handed things but he was fine with carrying them over, and he would have two free hands as long as Sasha showed him where to go.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter where Sasha left him. She had squealed something about pastries and muffins a couple feet away and ran off. He could practically hear her drooling from where he waited.

He heard movement from behind the counter and turned his head towards it. The person said nothing so he looked forwards again. A deep, velvety voice spoke behind him.

"Hey, brat. These drinks yours?" He turned his head again, feeling a frown form on his face.

"That depends. What are the names?" He heard a snort.

"What, can't read?" Eren, used to this, didn't take offense. He merely raised his eyebrow, still looking in the direction the voice came from.

"Humor me." There was a stretch of silence and Eren sighed. He turned a bit.

"Sasha! Come 'ere." He heard a "Oh goodness!" And the pattering of feet.

"Armin, Sasha, Mikasa, and Eren." The voice said sarcastically. Sasha was at his side seconds later.

"Yay! Coffee!" She pressed two drinks, one hot and one cold, into his hands. Before they could leave the barista stopped them again.

"Oi, brat. Can you really not read?" Eren felt Sasha stiffen beside him.

"Hey, listen you jerk-" Eren cut her off.

"Sasha. Forget it."

"But-" He raised an eyebrow again and she grumbled, lacing her arm with his. "Fine, fine." Eren chuckled and followed Sasha to the table.

Levi POV

He was insanely bored. Or insane. Most likely both.

"Damn this job." He muttered to himself. It was a slow day in The Corps Café, which was surprising since the first day of college would start up soon. The filthy brats were probably still moving in. He looked around the empty café and the work space. He had cleaned everything more than ten times in the past hour already and couldn't find a speck of dirt. Which was unfortunate. He sighed and sat on a stool behind the counter and pulled out his phone. At the moment he unlocked it he heard the bell above the door and someone giggling. Cursing under his breath he stood and stepped forwards. He scanned them over without really looking. Four people, four drinks, assuming everyone ordered. Once they paid he turned and made the drinks, waiting until all four were done before setting them on the counter. There was a brunette leaning his filthy ass on his counter, his back to him. Levi grimaced. At least I have something to clean now…

"Hey, brat. These drinks yours?" The kid turned his head, frowning at him. Levi frowned back.

"That depends. What are the names?" Are you fucking serious? He snorted and glared at the brunette.

"What, can't read?" Levi quipped. The boy just cocked an eyebrow. That's when Levi noticed his eyes. He paused and really looked at him. Brown hair, ruffled in a semi styled, semi just-got-out-of-bed way, emerald eyes, a simple black tee, and dark jeans. But it was his eyes that stood out the most. Levi had never seen eyes that green or that shone so bright. Only, something was off. The kid wasn't really looking at him. It was odd, it was like he was looking at Levi but also at the same time wasn't. Levi shrugged it off and pushed it from his mind.

"Humor me." Levi intensified his glare. You have got to be fucking kidding me. He wasn't in the mood to play with the brat. So Levi remained silent, his arms crossed. The brunette finally sighed and subtlety rolled his eyes. He turned around again and called out to the store.

"Sasha, come 'ere." A girl looking at the desserts ran over with an apologetic expression on her face. But before she reached them, Levi "humored" the brat.

"Armin, Sasha, Mikasa, and Eren." he listed the names off sarcastically. Who else would they be? There were only a few people inside and no one came after them. Was the kid pulling a prank on him or intentionally making his day worse? His thoughts were interrupted.

"Yay! Coffee!" Levi frowned at the over exuberant girl who reached and grabbed two drinks, pushing them into the kid's hands and grabbed the other two. The brunette didn't even look at them. They were about to leave and for some reason Levi didn't want that. He wanted to look at the brunette more. So he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oi, brat. Can you really not read?" The effect was instant. The boy looked amused but the girl froze. Sasha if he remembered correctly. Sasha turned and sent him a glare. But Levi, the king of glares, wasn't affected by it at all.

"Hey, listen you jerk-" The boy looked even more amused and cut off his feisty friend.

"Sasha. Forget it." Levi glanced over in surprise. The brat didn't seem insulted at all. Levi was tempted to ask why on earth he was on a college campus if he couldn't read, but decided to bite his tongue instead.

"But-" The girl protested. The brunette cut her off with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look. "Fine, fine." She conceded and proceeded to weave her arm with the kid's. They left a bewildered Levi behind them.

He shook his head and returned to his stool, his phone in his hand once more. His phone didn't hold any interest to him anymore. His eyes were constantly being drawn to the brunette. Not long after they were seated at the table Sasha got into a heated discussion and was gesturing his way. The brat looked amused again and reached for her arm, almost missing. The other two at the table were a black haired oriental girl and a petite blonde boy. The girl turned and sent a rather impressive glare his way. He responded by raising his brows.

"Not bad." He muttered to himself. Her glare intensity nearly matched his. But not quite. After a while they seemed to calm down. The black haired girl kept sending occasional glares. But the brunette didn't look his way. At all. And that pissed Levi off.

He was tempted to go over to get his name, but when he stood another customer walked in. Levi sent a glare at the new person who faltered in the door. They ordered and Levi made it as fast as possible. Once the customer left Levi looked over to the table. It was empty.

"Fuck."

Eren POV

Saturday came fast and early. Sasha was pounding on their door at the crack of dawn. When Armin finally opened it she rushed in and jumped on Eren's bed.

"Ereeeeeeeeeeeeen! It's time! Let's go make food!" Eren groaned and rolled over, rubbing at his face.

"What time is it?"

"It's nine!" Eren heard Armin groan and get back into bed. He sat up groggily.

"Nine in the morning? Seriously? We don't need to make dinner for another couple of hours…" Sasha bounced up and down on the bed.

"But Ereeeeeeeeen, we need to plan on what we are going to make!" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Might as well.

"Fine. I'm up, I'm up." He grumbled. "Wait outside the door and then we can go to a study room." Sasha squealed and ran back out, slamming the door behind her.

"She's crazy." Armin muttered sleepily and yawned. "Wake me up for dinner."

"'Kay." Eren stripped and changed into clean boxers before stepping over to his closet. He didn't know what color looked like, but he had requested dark colors. Mikasa said she got him blacks, browns, and a few blue shirts. Armin told him the ocean is blue. Eren wants to go to the ocean one day, breathe in the salty air and feel the water and enjoy the wind in his hair. He rarely wears the blue.

His hand trailed across the shirts at the hem, where a tag covered in braille rested. It told him whether it was black or brown and what was on the shirt. He chose a black tee with the Daughtry band logo on the front. His favorite band and one he was lucky to attend the concert of. Hearing them sing live and feel the beats in his bones was one of the most thrilling experiences he's ever had.

Next he threw on the nearest pair of jeans and grabbed a notebook off his desk. He left his cane and found his way to the door. Sasha was impatiently waiting for him outside. She grabbed him right away and dragged him off down the hall.

They made a list of ingredients they bought and planned out a simple dinner. Crispy Italian Chicken with juice or soda and a side of mashed potatoes. They finished in an hour. Eren managed to keep Sasha contained by planning out the next two meals, what ingredients to buy, when and where to get them, and how they were going to get there. It was painstakingly slow until it was the afternoon. Eren almost cried in relief.

"Sasha."

"Hmm?"

"It's time." She gasped and shot out of her chair, the legs screeching.

"FINALLY!"

By the time dinner was finished a bunch of curious students were drawn by the "heavenly smell". No one minded the extra people but soon enough all the food was gone and many people were turned away disappointed.

However, Eren and Sasha agreed to make more next time if people RSVP'ed with them before hand as well as chip in for the ingredients or bring drinks, desserts, etc. People eagerly agreed and wrote their names and numbers down on a scratch piece of paper.

One boy, named Jean, stuck around after the meal to hang and talk. He seemed like an ass to Eren for some reason.  
"You guys are becoming quite popular around here already." Jean remarked. "Or, your food I should say."

Sasha chuckled. "The people aren't so bad either."

"Definitely not…" Jean had a husky tone to his voice. Eren heard Armin snort beside him and leaned over.

"What's going on?" He whispered in Armin's ear.

"He hasn't taken his eyes off Mikasa since he arrived." Armin whispered back. Eren frowned. He didn't like the idea of Mr. Pompous flirting with his sister. Armin seemed to notice and he leaned over again. "Don't worry. She's been mostly ignoring him." Eren frowned even more. "She hasn't smiled at him once." He felt his face smooth out and he sat back, relieved. Mikasa is careful with displaying her emotions, she thinks that listening to someone's voice is the better way to figuring out their emotions. Armin had told him that she keeps her face carefully blank at all times and only smiles when she is around their trio of friends.

Eren thought Mikasa was very expressive, but then again he could pick up on emotions through voice far easier than most people. He heard footsteps stop behind him and he tilted his head.

"Are you alright?" Mikasa said in his ear, concerned. He smiled at her.

"Yea. I just don't like the tone Jean is using with you." He heard her laugh.

"Don't worry about that dunce. He's so stupid he hasn't realized you're blind." Eren was surprised at that but, again, not offended. Most people noticed after a half hour. "He keeps sending glares and haughty looks your way." Eren chuckled.

"Why?"

"Probably because I'm leaning over you and whispering in your ear. Also, you made a horse comment earlier." Eren furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Why would he be offended?"

"He has a long face." Armin, who was following the conversation, leaned over and whispered.

"He has a horseface." Eren tried to hold in his laughter, he really did. He failed. He broke out in giggles, Armin joining in soon after. He heard Mikasa huff quietly behind him. She leaned in close again.

"A smile and a kiss for you, brother." He felt her soft lips on his cheek and he grinned. Armin was still giggling beside him.

"Ohmigosh his face… he's turning purple!"

People left soon after that, Eren and Armin returning to their rooms.

Levi POV

Three days. Three fucking days. The green eyed brat hadn't come back to the café. Levi sat in his apartment, trying to sketch. He was far too pissed to really accomplish anything. For the past couple of hours he had been trying to draw the brunette but he could never get his face quite right.

Levi owned a nice apartment in a secluded place not far from campus. He was a junior and he had a car. Oh, the privileges. But there was no way he was staying in a filthy dorm infested with germs. He always shuddered at the thought. It wasn't too expensive, either. His mother had left him a large inheritance. He didn't need to work but he chose to because he wanted the account to last a long while. That, and art supplies were damn expensive.

He grumbled and regarded his failed attempts. He gave up and closed the sketchbook, deciding to spend some time cleaning. As he sprayed every inch of the kitchen with disinfectant, he heard his phone go off. He only looked at the text once he was finished.

_From Hanji_  
6:33  
Have you seen the cutie again yet?

Levi frowned and typed back a reply.

_To Hanji_  
6:54  
No.

_From Hanji_  
6:55  
OMG WHY NOT? Let's go out tomorrow and hunt him down!

Levi rubbed his forehead grumbling.

_To Hanji_  
6:55  
I really should not have told you, Shitty Glasses. I work tomorrow so shut the fuck up about it.

_From Hanji_  
6:56  
OOOH PERFECT! I'll go to work with you tomorrow! I'll keep an eye out for him too! If he doesn't show I'll come with you the next day too!

_To Hanji_  
6:57  
You are NOT coming to work with me. Ever.

_From Hanji_  
6:57  
AWW Come on Leviiiiiiiiii! You know I'll come anyway!

Levi ignored the latest text and sat back on the couch. His phone went off. And again. And again.

"Fucking glasses…"

_From Hanji_  
6:59  
I'm stll coming Levi. What time do you work?  
Levi?  
Levi?  
Levi?  
Levi?

_To Hanji_  
7:04  
I'm taking a shit, leave me be.

_From Hanji_  
7:04  
What time Levi?  
Levi?  
Levi?  
Levi?

Levi gripped his phone and nearly threw it across the room, cursing under his breath.

"Fine!"

_To Hanji_  
7:08  
3:00 in the afternoon.

Levi turned off his phone and grabbed the remote. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

Eren sighed and dragged a hand down his face. He was in some boring class he had to take for his basic requirements. Psych 101. The only good part of it was that Armin is with him.

Eren sighed again and shifted lower in his seat. There was constant noise that was covering the professors voice: music, whispers, bags of chips crunching, snoring, etc. Armin chose the sit near the front, as always, so Eren couldn't take a nap. The professor didn't really seem to care about what students did in his classroom, he was only there because he had to be. Eren felt a finger poke his side.

"You should pay attention." Armin whispered in his ear. Eren groaned.

"Why? The quiz questions are straight out of the textbook."

"Don't you want to ace this class?"

"You don't have to put in effort to ace this class…" Eren muttered. There were barely any quizzes and everything was online, so that meant open textbook, open notes, and open internet. Easy peasy. Eren's eyelids dropped and his head began to drop forwards. He felt another finger poke his side.

"Armin…" He whined.

"If you pay attention I'll buy you coffee." Eren sat up eagerly.

"Coffee?" Armin chuckled quietly beside him.

"Yes. I will buy you coffee if you pay attention." Eren slowly smiled, leaning in closer to his friend.

"If you buy it for a week." He heard Armin huff.

"Three days."

"Five, including today." There was a stretch of silence.

"Fine." Eren silently cheered, raising his arms but quickly put them down, worried about drawing the professors attention. Eren leaned forwards in his seat and listened for the rest of class.

Eren has excellent memory when it comes to something he has heard, kind of like taking notes in his head, since writing them down is nearly impossible. Of course there was technology that could type in braille and whatnot, but it seemed to much trouble and effort to Eren. So he trained his mind to retain information he's heard, but only once he has gone into a certain mind set.

Half an hour later and class finally ended. Eren bounded up from his seat, waiting for Armin. He bounced eagerly on his feet.

"Coffee?" He heard a sigh next to him as Armin took his arm.

"Polly want a cracker?"

"No, Eren want a coffee." Armin laughed and led Eren out of the classroom. They took a shuttle to the edge of campus. "Where are we going?" Eren asked.

"To the coffee shop we went to last week."

"The Corpse?" His sarcasm earned an elbow in his side.

Eren heard a familiar bell jingle above his head as they went into the café. He smiled and breathed in, slow and deep. Armin snorted.

"You know you look like a pot head when you do that?" Eren shook his head with a smile on his face. He was about to reply but paused when he heard a loud, unearthly squeal somewhere in front of him.

He heard an"OHMYGAWD" which was followed by a rather loud smack and a yelp of pain. Eren leaned sideways.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"The barista has a female friend behind the counter, she was the one who squealed, and the barista was the one who smacked her."

Eren cocked his head, confused. "She's staring at you like she wants to eat you while the barista-" Armin paused.

"The barista what?" Eren frowned at him. Armin started giggling.

"The crazy lady wants to eat you limb by limb while the barista wants to eat you in a different way entirely." It took Eren a few moments. Then he felt his face flush and warmth spread from his face to his ears and neck.

"Armin!" Eren elbowed his friend in the ribs. He pulled Armin forwards a step to give him a hint. Well, this is awkward. While Armin rattled of his order and Eren's, Eren really only got one thing, he fell into thought. It's been a while since anyone had been interested in him romantically. He had a girlfriend his freshman year of high school, but it didn't last more than a month. There wasn't much emotional attachment, both were just experimenting really. Both called it off on equal terms with no hard feelings. After that, rumors went around that Eren was gay and most people avoided him like the plague. The girl felt bad, thinking it was her fault somehow and offered to pretend they were still dating, for appearances only. Eren turned her down. He didn't mind being called gay, but he was upset with how people treated him. Eren didn't like only girls, or only boys. He liked whoever he wanted to like based on their personality and who they are as a person. One of the things he can proudly say is that he doesn't judge someone by their looks, for obvious reasons. Therefore, looks and gender really have nothing to do with attraction in his opinion.

Armin led Eren over to the counter to wait for the drinks, ignoring the whispering and not so quiet growls of "shut up" coming from behind them.

"Well…" Armin started, a peculiar lilt in his voice.

"Armin…" Eren warned, having a feeling he already knew where this was going.

"I've got to run to the bathroom. Grab the drinks when they're ready?"

"Armin!" Eren snapped, reaching for his friend. With a laugh Armin evaded him and his footsteps began to fade. "Fucking…" Eren muttered, not finishing the sentence. Oh, he wanted to. He really did. But the sound of soft footsteps and a throat being cleared behind him caused him to pause.

Levi POV

Five days. Levi was almost giving up on the brat. But every time he heard the damn bell he jingle his eyes would shoot to the door, only to feel disappointment crash through him when a stranger walked through. There was a lull in customers and Levi found himself leaning against the counter, arms crossed, and fingers tapping impatiently on his arms. He heard a giggle and sent a glare.

Hanji was sitting on a barstool on the other side of the counter. Her head was propped in her hand and it was tilted, a huge grin on her face as she regarded him. She giggled again.

"You have it baaaaaad, Levi."

"Shut up." He muttered. His gaze went to the floor, the perfectly clean floor. He sighed. He remembered two male names from the cups. So the brunette was either Eren or Armin. Strange names… He sighed again. Which fucking name?

His thoughts finally drifted from the green eyed brat to his upcoming assignment. He had to paint some sort of landscape. Pretty simple, no special requirements. He had the supplies. The only problem? He had no motivation or inspiration to do it.

He was so lost in his thoughts that, for once, he didn't hear the bell jingle. But he heard Hanji's squeal. By God, he heard it. Levi jerked his head up to send her a glare but he froze half way. Standing in the entrance were two more customers. It's him. His heart jumped in his chest, causing him to frown. Shut up! He thought to his heart. You're not some love sick puppy!

As Levi gazed at the boy a gust of air left his mouth that he didn't realize he was holding. Hanji gasped and ran around the counter, throwing her arms on his shoulders. He smacked her upside the head.

"Is that him?!" She whisper shouted in his ear. He flinched away from her, shoving her off.

"Shut up!" He hissed.

"Is it?!"

"Yes! Shut up!" He shoved Hanji again. "Get back around the counter! You'll contaminate the place!" Hanji was no longer paying attention to him. She was gazing at the brunette, a wild grin stretched across her face. A low chuckle started that only Levi could hear. He rolled his eyes and shoved her one last time before giving up.

His eyes went back to the two standing at the door. The brunette was leaning over whispering to the blonde with a frown on his face. The blonde was giggling and looking their way. Suddenly, the brunettes face flushed red and his eyes went wide, Cute… Levi couldn't help but think. He shook his head. Get a hold of yourself!

Hanji was still chuckling like a mad man beside him. He elbowed her over to stand in front of the cash register. They moved forwards and placed their order, again with the names Armin and Eren. The blonde ordered so Levi was still unsure about who's name was what.

Levi turned to make the drinks and Hanji sprawled herself across his back.

"Leviiiiiiiiiiii!" She drooled in his ear. "He's so cute…"

"Shut up." He growled at her.

"Look at dem eyes… And dat ass…"

"Hanji… Shut up!" She leaned in even closer, making his skin itch.

"Did you see his hands…" Levi whirled on her, spraying whip cream into her face.

" ." Levi glared at her. Cackling she raised her hands and backed off around the counter once more, giving Eren an obvious look over as she passed. Levi smacked a hand to his forehead. Thank God the boy didn't notice. Hanji stretched over the counter and whispered, a little more seriously.

"Did you notice something about his eyes?" Levi frowned over at her.

"The color?" Hanji raised her eyebrows and smirked, shaking her head.

"Oh Levi… Maybe you should use that brain of yours sometimes." She frowned and put a finger on her chin. "Or maybe the paint fumes killed it…" Levi sighed and turned his back, electing to ignore her. I can't understand half her ramblings anyways…

The drinks finally finished, Levi brought them over to the counter. The boy was alone and not paying attention. Levi set the drinks down and cleared his throat.

The brunette jumped slightly and turned around.

"The drinks done?" Levi stared at him. Seriously? Obviously they are done idiot… Levi paused, searching his eyes. They were looking a bit to the left of Levi and they were unfocused. Levi brought a hand up slowly and waved it slightly. No reaction. The boy shifted, uncomfortable with the silence. Levi lowered his hand. No way. No fucking way. He heard Hanji begin to giggle once more behind him.

"You can't read." He bluntly said, finally putting the pieces together. The boy looked amused.

"Ah, you again." Levi's eyes widened.

"Did I say that out loud? Oh shit." The boy laughed and held out his hand.

"I'm Eren." Levi froze, his breath catching in his lungs. Finally. He had a name.

"Eren." He rolled the name off his tongue and grasped Eren's hand, not even thinking about the germs that could be on them. "I'm Levi." Eren nodded and crossed his arms.

"So the drinks are done, then?" Levi couldn't stop staring. Why hadn't he seen it before?

"You… You're… I mean, you can't…" Levi paused, unable to actually ask the kid. Eren just smiled.

"Yes. I'm blind." There was no bitterness in his tone but Levi felt guilt rush through him.

"Ugh, shit, jeez… I mean, I'm-" God he couldn't even speak anymore. Eren chuckled.

"Took you long enough."

And with that the tension broke and Levi felt himself relax. He grabbed the two drinks and held them out.

"Here are both the drinks." Eren stretched his hands and Levi pushed the cups into them, their fingers grazing for a second. Levi held his breath until Eren pulled away.

"Thanks." He grinned at Levi and turned. His blonde friend, no doubt Armin, appeared a second later as if by magic. Levi narrowed his eyes at him. Armin turned and sent him a wink.

"Didn't realize you were so obvious, eh Levi?" He hadn't even heard Hanji sidle up behind him. Delivering a heavy blow with his elbow he turned to wash the counters. Hanji looked smugly at him.

"So. Eren." Levi nodded, his mouth twitching. He recalled her comment earlier and looked over.

"You knew he was blind?" Hanji grinned.

"It was rather obvious if you actually looked." Levi frowned at her and resumed scrubbing the counter tops.

"I don't think it was that obvious. He doesn't have one of those walking thingies."

"Of course you didn't notice right away. You were distracted by his ass." Levi groaned.

"Hanji… Shut up…"

After finding nothing else to clean or stock Levi resumed his post at the counter. Now that he knew Eren was blind he could stare away with no guilt at all. Levi looked at his ruffled hair and traced his strong jawline with his eyes before moving to stare at long fingers that were wrapped around the cup. Levi felt his face flush and he looked away. He caught Hanji scrutinizing him.

"What?" He hissed at her. She grinned.

"Go get his number."

"No."

"You know you want it."

"Of course I want it, Shitty Glasses. Does he even have a phone?" Hanji looked thoughtful at that one.

They were interrupted by a tap on the counter. Levi looked over to see the blonde boy, Armin, with a smirk on his face. He pushed a napkin over to Levi. He grabbed it and looked down. A number was scrawled in the corner under the name Eren. Levi glanced at Armin with his eyebrow raised.

"It didn't seem like you were going to ask so I figured I would help." Armin grinned at him, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Eren wasn't listening. Eren was waiting in the booth still, a phone in his hand. Levi frowned looking to Armin. "He texts by speaking to the phone and having it read to him the message." Levi nodded. Technology. He looked at the number again, suddenly unsure. Armin leaned in.

"Just tell him I gave it to you, he'll be mad at me. Plus," Armin shrugged, stepping away, "He could always use more… friends." Armin turned and went back over to Eren, grabbing his arm. Levi's eyes followed them out of the store. His hand tightened around the napkin and Hanji laughed at him, enjoying herself far too much.

I've got it bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Eren POV

_Beeep. Beeep. BEEEEEEEEP. BEE-_Eren's hand slammed down on the alarm clock effectively shutting it up. With a groan he rolled back over. After a couple minutes he sat up and reached around for his phone. Finding it, he slid open the lock screen, prompting it to tell him it was:

"Eight o' three in the morning" in an annoyingly cheery voice. He groaned at the inanimate object.

"Email." He muttered to it.

_"No new emails."_

"Damn." He could always hope a professor would cancel class. Like that would ever happen. He sighed and began getting ready for school. He heard Armin snoring softly across the room, being able to sleep in since they didn't have psych today.

He had to take some anthropology class comparing food to culture. It sounded interesting but the professor had a low droning voice that had the effect of putting the entire class to sleep.

Eren dressed simply, grabbing a random tee but covering it with his hoodie. Armin said it had their school logo on it; a forest green color with blue and white wings on the back and the name on the front. Whatever.

Still half asleep, he left his room, his walking stick in hand. He took this class alone, Sasha refused to wake up early, so he had to use it.  
He arrived to class fifteen minutes early. He pulled out his phone and raised it to his mouth.

"Mute."

_"Phone muted."_He would turn it back on afterwards. Eren folded his stick and tucked it away, pulling out a book from his backpack at the same time. His fingers skimmed over the braille as he waited for class to start.

He had already visited all of his professors to explain why he would not be taking notes and be staring off into space. Most of them were very amenable, offering extra services and later due dates. Eren had declined them. Just because he is blind doesn't mean he should get special treatment in everything. He didn't really think it was fair. Plus, he liked a challenge.

The professor came in and Eren was forced to put his book away. Not that he was really focused on it anyways.

The rest of the day crawled by and Eren was exhausted by the time he was back in his dorm room. He fell down on his bed face first, groaning into the pillows and causing Armin to laugh.

"Rough day?"

"Yes…" Eren shifted onto his back. "It's less work then high school but somehow more tiring…"

"It's more mentally exhausting because of the sudden shift of scheduling. You have more breaks but are-"

"Armin." Eren interrupted. Armin chuckled.

"Sorry. By the way… have you gotten any texts recently?" Eren frowned, recalling who he's talked to in the past few hours.

"No. That's odd… I'll message Mikasa." Eren pulled his phone from his back pocket and opened it up.

"Open texting. Mikasa. How are you?"

_"Message sent."_Eren plopped his arm back down, the phone resting lightly in his hand.

"Thanks for reminding me, Armin."

"Uh. Sure." Eren cocked his head at his tone. It was somewhat awkward.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Really." Eren deadpanned. "I can hear it." Armin sighed.

"Just some trouble with a new friend." Eren shot up in bed.

"Really? You made a friend?"

"I can make friends!" Armin scoffed. Eren was going to push the matter further but a pounding on the door stopped him. "I got it." He heard the bed creak as Armin got up.

"Armin!" Sasha screeched. Eren heard Armin sigh again. "Is Eren here?"

"Yep. He's all yours." Uh oh. Soon enough his bed was bouncing as Sasha jumped on. An arm was thrown around his shoulders.

"Eren! I want you to meet my new friend, Connie." He heard a shuffling of feet in front of him. "Connie, this is Eren." Eren held out his hand and felt someone grasp it soon enough. They had a strong grip. He smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Connie."

"Likewise." A light voice, like honey, replied. Sasha bounced the bed again.

"And Connie, that is Armin."

"Connie what?"

"Armin!" Sasha scolded. Sasha and I knew where he was going with this. Poor Connie had no clue.

"Springer." Armin hummed and his bed creaked as he retreated to his laptop.

"Armin…" Sasha warned. Eren leaned over to Sasha to distract her.

"Sasha, are you going to invite him Saturday?" She gasped, turning her body to him, pulling at the sheets.

"Can I?" Eren snorted.

"What kind of question is that?" Sasha jumped up.

"Connie! Want to come for dinner on Saturday? Here? We are making it a weekly thing and you need to bring something to chip in and sign up on a sheet and it's really fun cuz both of us cook and it's our majors and-"

"Sasha…" Eren sighed and interrupted. She shut up so fast she choked. Connie just laughed at her much to Eren's relief.

"Sure, why not? What do I have to bring?" Sasha squealed.

'I'll go grab the sheet!" Eren thought for a bit.

"I need to call the people who signed up to see if they are still coming and what they are bringing. For now, think of drinks or dessert."

"Alright."

"Here, sign this, name and number." Sasha told him.

After a couple minutes of idle chatter, the two left, filling the room with a sense of peace once more. Eren was still seated on his bed.

"Sooooo?" He asked.

"So what?" Armin replied in a sarcastic tone.

"What's the news on this Connie guy?" Whenever a new friend was introduced to their group, Armin had a habit of looking them up. He hacked into police and school systems to get the information he wanted.

Armin chuckled at Eren.

"You used to try and get me to stop." Eren shrugged.

"Yea, well, that didn't work. And now I'm curious."

"Alright, let's see… He graduated high school with B and C grades. No suspensions. But… he does have three speeding tickets and a minor thievery case."

"Ooh a rebel."

"I think he's clear."

"Okay." Eren smiled.

His phone beeped. He lifted it and pressed a button, the soft voice filling his ear.

_"One new text from… Mikasa. Press three to continue."_He pressed it. _"Working out at the gym. You?"_Eren smiled. Typical Mikasa.

"Who was it?" Eren frowned again. Strange. Armin almost never asks.

"Mikasa."

"Oh."

Eren shook his head and raised the phone to his mouth after pressing a button to reply.

"Of course. Tempted to take a nap. Send." He fell back onto the bed once more. His phone beeped again.

_"One new-"_

"Yea yea." He muttered, skipping ahead by pushing buttons.

_"But it's four in the afternoon."_Eren chuckled, he could almost hear the sarcasm through the text. He set his phone down and stretched his arms above his head, closing his eyes.

Levi POV

Levi sat on the couch, phone in hand. He was done with classes and basic homework for the day and no more excuses to wait. Erens number was open and his fingers hovered over the keyboard. He hesitated and typed out "hi". He frowned and deleted it. "Hello". Grumbling he erased that too. "Hey, I don't know if you remember me, Levi, from the coffee shop. Your friend Armin gave me your number." He stared at it.

"Fuck!" He deleted it as well and threw his phone on the coffee table. He crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch.  
After pondering for a couple minutes, he sighed in defeat.

"I have no choice, do I?" Levi lamented as he grabbed his phone once more.

_To Hanji_  
_3:52  
I need a favor._

His phone went off almost immediately.

_From Hanji_  
_3:53  
YOU NEED CONDOMS?_

"Motherfucking…" He muttered.

_To Hanji_  
_3:53  
NO. I don't know how to text Eren._

_From Hanji_  
_3:53  
YOU HAVEN'T TEXTED HIM YET?_

_To Hanji_  
_4:04  
Obviously not._

_From Hanji_  
_4:04  
Alright, don't get your panties in a twist. Let me think_

Levi sighed in relief. Hanji might be… eccentric… but when she really puts her mind to something she can accomplish a lot. A couple of minutes later had him reaching eagerly for his cell.

_From Hanji_  
_4:09  
Keep it casual. Start out with hey or something and introduce yourself. If he asks tell him you got the number from Armin. Also invite him to coffee at the end of your next shift._

Levi frowned.

_To Hanji_  
_4:10  
All in the same sentence? Say hey, introduce myself, and invite him to coffee?_

_From Hanji_  
_4:10  
Yes but keep it casual, don't make it seem like date. I KNOW. Say you want to apologize for being so rude earlier._

_To Hanji_  
_4:10  
You're a genius_.

_From Hanji_  
_4:10  
I know :P_

Levi took a deep breath and opened up a chat with Eren again. Here we go…

Eren POV

"Eren." A sigh.

"Eren." Eren groaned and rolled over.

"Shut up, Armin. I'm trying to sleep."

"It's not even five! And if you sleep now you'll screw up your sleeping schedule."

"I don't care." Eren mumbled into his arm.

"Eren."

"Whaaaaat."

"Your phone went off."

"I'll check it later."

"I think you should check it now."

"If I check it will you shut up?"

"Yep, for a bit." Armin chuckled.

"Thank god." Eren flopped his arms around trying to locate his phone. Eventually the inside of his forearm hit it. He raised it to his ear.

_"One new text from: unknown."_Eren frowned.

"That's odd."

"What?" Armin sounded excited.

"It's from someone unknown."

"Ooooh?" Armin crowed. Eren sighed at him and pressed the button.

_"Hey Eren. It's Levi, the barista from The Corps coffee shop. I wanted to apologize in person for my rude behavior the other day. I'll buy you a coffee or two as an apology the next time you come in."_Eren slowly turned and sat up.

"Armin."

"Who was it?"

"I think you know."

"YES!" Armin cheered. "Finally!"

"Armin!" Eren whined. "How could you?"

"Oh come on! He wouldn't stop eyeing you every time you went! Have a little fun!"

"Armin…" Eren sighed.

"What did he say?" Armin asked excitedly. Eren raised his hand to toss his phone at him but paused. If Armin got his hands on it who knows what he would say back.

"He said he wanted to apologize and buy me a coffee the next time I went." Armin clapped his hands and laughed.

"Excellent! You going tomorrow?" Eren chewed his bottom lip nervously.

"I don't know."

"Aw come on! If you don't like him you can just leave!" Eren still didn't say anything. "You can tell Mikasa and she can come and walk you back if you decide to leave…" Armin prodded.

Eren shook his head. "Fine…" He grumbled, bringing up his phone. Armin cheered again.

"Sounds good. Do you work tomorrow? Send."

"Open texting. Mikasa. Hey, I'm going to meet up with someone tomorrow, think you can come pick me up if things go wrong? Send." Eren sighed and leaned back. Mikasa was the first to reply, with an "of course, just tell me the time." Eren waited anxiously for Levi to text back. The second his phone went off it was pressed tightly against his ear.

_"Yes I work tomorrow, from noon to four."_Eren went over his schedule in his head. Tomorrow he finished at two so he could make it.

"Okay, I'll see you sometime after two. Send."

Erens last class got out early and he hovered in the building. He debated on going over to the coffee shop now or waiting until the assigned (ish) time. He ran his fingers through his hair. Ah fuck it. He left the building and got onto the bus. It took him to the edge of campus and he pulled out his phone.

"Open maps. Directions for The Corps coffee shop."

_"The Corps coffee shop at 850 Titan avenue. Is this correct?"_

"Yes."

_"Walk straight for fifteen steps."_Eren really loved technology. And this app. It was designed for blind people and measured distance in steps. It also told him how many buildings to pass, when a street was coming up, etc.

He arrived about ten minutes later and pushed through the door. He was greeted within seconds.

"Eren! What coffee do you want?" Eren smiled, relieved he was in the right place. He made his way to the counter.

"Coffee frappuccino."

"Again?"

"All day every day." Eren grinned when he heard a soft chuckle.

"Alright then." Eren went over and waited in his usual spot by the counter. Soon enough,

"They're done." Eren smiled and held out a hand, feeling his cold drink pressed into it. He heard Levi make his way around the counter and pause next to him. Eren felt his hesitation and held back a laugh. He folded is stick and pocketed it, holding out his arm.

"Care to show me to a table?"

"Um, yea, sure." Levi carefully took his arm, holding it lightly and tugging him forwards.

They sat down at a nearby table.

"So, uh, what are you going to college for?" Eren's mouth twitched at Levi's awkward attempt at conversation.

"The culinary arts."

"Really?" Surprise colored Levi's tone. "I never pegged you for a cooking type."

"I've always loved cooking, the smells and tastes."

"That makes sense."

Eren rested his elbows on the table, a hand around his drink.

"Are you attending the college too?"

"Yea. I'm a junior in the art program."

"Oh, that's neat. What else do you do besides making coffee or art?" Eren tilted his head. Levi hummed and tapped the table.

"Watch t.v. mostly. Or waste time on the computer."

"What shows?" Eren had obviously taken charge of the conversation, making it flow easier. He thought it funny that for all Levi's gruffness he was awkward when it came to simple social interaction.

"Thinking something funny, brat?" Levi asked, interrupting his thoughts. Eren blinked, one side of his mouth turning up,

"Nah, sorry. Just thinking. Any shows you really like?" He could practically feel the skepticism and a glare being shot his way. He frowned at Levi and heard him scoff.

"Supernatural, Game of Thrones, and Hannibal." Eren leaned forwards eagerly.

"Really? I love Supernatural and I just started Game of Thrones."

"Oh? Want to know what happens?"

"No!" Eren shouted, slamming his hands onto the table.

"Are you sure?" He heard humor lacing through his voice.

"No. Spoilers." He said firmly.

"Everyone dies."

"Gahhh!" Eren threw up his hands, exasperated.

Eren stayed for the rest of Levi's break, which was surprisingly an hour long. Eren didn't expect to hang around and actually enjoy Levi's company. But he did. They were still at the table after his time was up.

"Levi, get your sorry ass over here!" Eren heard Levi turn in his seat and actually growl.

"I'm coming old man, a few minutes isn't the end of the world!"

"No, but it's the end of your pay, shorty! Date time is up!"

"Hey!" Levi sputtered. Eren just laughed. They both stood, Levi taking his empty cup from Eren.

"So… I'll text you later?" Eren nodded and smiled at Levi in response to his question. Then he hesitated, hearing Levi move away.

"Hey, wait." The steps paused. "This Saturday a bunch of friends and people from the dorm are coming to a dinner me and my friend are making. Are you free?" Eren tensed at the silence, shifting from foot to foot.

"Yea, sure. Text me the address." Eren could hear a smile in his voice. He grinned.

"Alright! Awesome." Eren pulled out his phone as he left, the grin still on his face.

"Open texting. Mikasa. I had a good time and I'm heading back to the dorm now. Send."

_"Message sent."_Eren followed the apps directions back to campus and took the bus the rest of the way.

The second he walked into his room he was bombarded with questions.

"So, it went well? Are you guys dating now? Why didn't he come back with you?"

"Armin…" Eren threw down his stuff and pulled off his jacket. Then he plopped onto the bed.

"Yea. It went well."

"Like… now you're dating well or you're leaving the shop smiling well?"

"No, we're not dating… jeez. And… wait." Eren sent a glare in the direction he hoped Armin was. "You didn't."

"Uh…"

"Armin." Eren warned.

"Well… I might of hacked the security cameras across the street to check up on you…"

Eren dragged his hand down his face and flopped backwards with a gusty sigh.

"Although I appreciate your concern, if that's what it even is," He heard Armin scoff, "that's kind of creepy."

"It's not like it was a date or anything, right?" Armin asked in a sly tone. Eren threw his arms into the air above him.

"I give up. I give up on your devilish ways." Armin laughed at him from across the room. They were silent for a couple minutes. "I invited him to dinner this Saturday."

"YES!" Armin cheered.

"Shut up."

"You're smiling." Eren raised a hand to his face to confirm it. And yes, there was a smile stretching across his face.

"Shut up."

Levi POV

Levi spent the rest of his shift on cloud nine. It went well. He thought it went well. The talking was easy once Eren took control of it, not once mentioning Levi's awkwardness. Dinner. On Saturday. With a bunch of germy freshmen. With Eren.

He couldn't wait to go.

Levi let himself into his apartment completely lost in his thoughts. He put his shoes neatly on a shoe tray and hung his jacket on a hanger. He wandered through the living room and into the kitchen, turning on the lights. There was a flash of lights and a maniacal grin that was illuminated. He gasped and jerked back, a hand over his heart.

"HANJI!" She began cackling, sitting on a stool at his counter. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He growled at her. She leaned over the counter, pressing her abnormally large breasts on his island. He glared at her. "Get those filthy water bags off my counter top." She grinned even more.

"How is the progress with Project Eren?" Levi continued glaring at her, crossing his arms.

"Get. Out." He gritted.

"No. Sooooooo how was it?"

"GET OUT."

"NO." He sighed and rubbed one eye with the heel of his hand.

"How the fuck did you get in here anyways?" Hanji sent him a sly look as one hand darted into her back pocket. In her hand was a key.

He stared at it.

"I don't have any spares."

"Remember that time you asked me to open your door?"

"Yea, and you didn't give it back for like ten minutes." Levi slapped a hand to his forehead. "Fuck." Hanji giggled.

"I made an impression of it and made a spare for emergencies!"

"This isn't an emergency!" Hanji straightened up and bounced on the stool. She patted the one next to her.

"Come, come. Tell me everything." Levi finally gave in, but settled with leaning on the counter, keeping distance between them. Levi explained the what had occurred.

"Then he invited me to dinner with his friends on Saturday." Levi ignored Hanji's gasp and continued, "Apparently he's making it a regular thing with people in his dorm." Hanji clapped her hands.

"That's so exciting! Coffee and dinner!" She leaned over into his personal space.

"What are you going to wear?!"

"My usual casual outfit and there is no way in hell I am letting you choose."

"Awwww, why not?" She pouted, slumping into her seat.

"If it was up to you, I would be going in an old man's outfit or lingerie." She cackled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Probably. So. Counting down the hours?"

"Fuck yes I am."


	4. Chapter 4

Eren couldn't wait until Saturday. He had texted Levi the address and instructed him to message him when he was outside. The dorm is locked 24/7 and without an id that was already swiped, he wasn't getting in. Eren would go down or he would send Mikasa. She wouldn't do anything mischievous like Armin would. No, she would just be critical and blunt. Levi seemed like the kind of guy to be able to handle that. But Armin… He was left alone with Mikasa's now ex-boyfriend for no more than a few minutes. Later, Mikasa found a good eight condoms tucked into pockets and waistbands. The poor guy didn't even notice Armin placing them there. He was more ecstatic that he got free condoms though. So it's a win win. But Mikasa was furious, and refused to talk to him for over a week.

"Eren." Sasha's voice called him out of his thoughts. He blinked a few times to clear his head.

"Yea, sorry. I got distracted." He replied. He heard Sasha snicker.

"What were ya thinkin about, eh?"

"You and Armin both are going to be the death of me." Eren sighed. He felt a nudge in his side.

"Were ya thinkin about Levi?" Sasha teased. Eren threw out an arm and smacked her on her belly. She grunted.

"What else do we need to get on the list?" He asked, diverting the conversation. Sasha jumped on it right away. Kind of hard for her not to, I mean come on. It's food.  
They were at the grocery store getting ingredients for the dinner the next day. Almost everyone on the list had answered with a yes. They managed to round up a good fifty dollars from people to get the required ingredients. The people who chose not to donate were bringing drinks or dessert or plates, cups, silverware, etc. Things are going smoothly now. Things would go smoothly later. Hopefully. Eren sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Another nudge in his side.

"Hey, don't worry about it."

"Yea, okay." He replied. Eren felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket. He brought it up to his ear.

_"One call from: Dad."_

"Ignore." Eren shoved his phone away. It vibrated again. And again. He gritted his teeth and yanked his phone out, turning it off. A hand on his shoulder.

"Is he calling again?" Sasha asked in a quiet voice.

"Yea." He replied curtly.

"You ever going to answer him?"

"No."

They finished shopping and checked out at a somewhat decent price. There were a lot of bags but they managed to divvy the bags between the both of them, even with Eren holding his cane.

"Ughhh there's so many…" Sasha whined next to him as they started walking back to the dorm.

"Get a car." Eren countered.

"But I can't afford it…" She continued to whine.

"Go to the gym."

"Erennnnnnnn."

A comfortable silence fell between the two. They stopped conversation to save their breath and energy, they were going to need it. The store wasn't too far from the dorm, it was right off campus. About a ten minute walk from their building. It really isn't that long, but with heavy bags and weak arms the trip can feel so much longer.

"That's it. I've stopped giving a shit. I will steal a cart next time." Sasha panted. Eren chuckled at her, too out of breath to reply.

"Everybody does it anyways." She continued. "It sucks being a law abiding citizen. I quit. I'm a criminal now." She bumped her shoulder with his. "Want to join me in my spiral of criminality?" He bumped his shoulder into hers.

"Nah. I'll stick with cooking food."

"Amen!" Sasha shouted. "Eren, I'm hungry."

"We're almost to the dorm. Just wait a bit."

"You dummy. Did you forget what we're carrying?"

"Sasha, no! We need that for tomorrow."

"But Erennnn."

"Whiner baby." Eren sighed.

Back at the dorm with the food stashed and locked away, mainly from Sasha, Eren was finally able to relax. He had the room to himself for a few hours, Armin was taking night classes. He took out his phone and turned it back on.

_"You have: four new messages."_

"Yeayea I don't care." He would delete them later, but he was too lazy right now.

_"You have no new text messages."_

Damn. Levi hadn't texted him. Eren bit his lip. Should he text him? Or does he not text? Would he be annoying? Eren pushed the questions from his mind to deal with later.

"I'll see him tomorrow anyways.," He muttered to himself. There was a light knock on the door, just one light tap. Mikasa. She always knocked like that. That way, Eren would know if it was his father or her mother knocking and would choose to answer it accordingly. Eren debated not letting her in. He had a feeling he knew what she was here for. Another light tap sounded throughout the small room. He sighed and got up, opening the door a crack.

"What's up, Mikasa?"

"You know what's up. Let me in."

"No." He said childishly. Her sister would put a the most stubborn mule to shame. Mikasa sighed and shoved her way in, Eren not really putting up much of a resistance. He learned that lesson already. Eren had gone into a really depressed kind of phase and locked himself away in his room for days, refusing to come out and eat. It was close after his mother's funeral. His father gave up first, followed by his stepmother, Mary. But every morning, afternoon, and evening there would be a light tap on the door and warm food waiting outside. After a while Mikasa got fed up with him and wouldn't stop knocking. Just one tap after the other. For an entire hour. Then she kicked the door down. Busted the knob and cracked the wall.

Eren shut the door softly and turned, leaning his back on it and crossing his arms. He could feel a frown pulling at his mouth already.

"He called." Yep. Mikasa. Straight to the point. Eren nodded. "When are you going to answer?" Not if. When.

"I'm not. So leave it be."

"He's your father, Eren." Anger was leaking into her voice. They've had this conversation many, many times.

"That he is."

"Why won't you speak with him? I speak with my mother." She sighed.

"You have a better relationship with her." He gritted his teeth.

"Do you blame him for your mother's death?" Mikasa asked in a raised voice, but not quite a yell.

Eren flinched. He didn't like that reminder. He was content to run away from reality and just keep the happy memories. He felt anger boil within him. But everyone just loves to keep reminding him of it.

"No, I don't." He snapped. "You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me understand!"

"No!" He yelled at her. A tense silence filled the room. He stepped to the side and opened the door. "We've had this conversation multiple times, Mikasa. It's not going to change anytime soon." Silence. Then a quiet growl and stomping feet. She left his door open. He slammed it.

And regretted it instantly. There were other people on the floor and the loud bang probably echoed far down the hallway. He made his way to his bed once more, grabbing his backpack.

After a half hour of trying to do homework, he gave up. He was in a really bad mood. He had already thrown his overpriced textbook across the room followed by his pencil and calculator. He ground his palms into his eyes and gritted his teeth. He could feel a head ache coming on. The meds are in the bathroom but he didn't want to put effort into moving.

Eren felt like his head or chest was about to explode with anger, stress, and pain. And his math homework certainly didn't help any. Usually when he was stressed, he would talk to Mikasa or Armin. He groaned and buried his head into a pillow. Then he grabbed more, piling them around his head. Then he screamed into them. Feeling a bit better he rolled onto his side and made breathing room around his face. Surprisingly enough, he fell asleep.

Only to be woken an hour later. Armin had gotten back and set his stuff down loudly. But seeing as that hadn't woken him up he decided to come over and shake Eren's shoulder.

"What." Eren grumbled, head fuzzy from sleep. "Leave me alone."

"Eren." Another pull. Eren snuggled deeper into his pillows. "Eren, you need to set alarms and get ready for bed." Eren pulled away from his grasp, mumbling incoherently. "Eren! Get up! Do you have any homework due at midnight?"

Eren shoved Armin away and slowly sat up, his hands rubbing his eyes.

"No, I don't." He muttered. He heard movement across the room and drawers being opened and closed.

"You going to use the bathroom first or second?" Armin asked.

"First. I won't take more than two minutes."

"Mmk. Mikasa talked to me." Armin casually remarked.

Eren stiffened. He stood. Ignoring his friend he went over and locked himself in the bathroom. A couple of minutes later there were knocks on the door followed by a sigh. Eren was hiding in the bathroom and it didn't take Armin too long to figure that out.

"I'm sorry, Eren. I know you hate talking about it and I'm sure you already went through it with your sister." A pause. "If you ever do want to talk about it, I want you to know that I'm here."

Eren finally relented and opened the door, walking out and finding Armin. Eren rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I know." He said quietly. He hesitated. "Here." He walked over to his dresser and grabbed his phone, turning and handing it to Armin. "You can listen to them, but when you're done, delete them."

"Eren…"

"I don't want to listen to them. If you do, go ahead. If not, delete them anyways." Eren turned and crawled back into bed, leaving Armin standing by the bathroom. About fifteen minutes later a quiet hand replaced his phone. Eren waited until Armin had went back to his side and heard the click of his lamp being turned off. Then he took his phone.

_"No new messages. No saved messages."_Eren relaxed. Good. He honestly didn't care whether his friend listened to them or not. He only cared that they were off his phone. Eren quickly set his alarms, yes alarms. He was a deep sleeper and not a morning person. He needed about four alarms. Some to wake him up over a period of time and one to get him up. Eren rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately.

Levi POV

Todays the day. The dinner with Eren. Levi was up early, unfortunately, and it left him too much time to do before he had to leave. So he cleaned. He cleaned his already spotless apartment from top to bottom. And it still left too much time. Five hours. So he put in a movie. But he couldn't really pay attention. Every couple of minutes he was glancing at the clock. Urging it to go faster. He gave up on the movie soon enough. Four hours.

He pulled out his homework and managed to distract himself in it. Two hours. He tried sketching some more. Hour and a half. He got dressed. He chose to wear dark jeans that were scuffed and ripped and a black shirt that was buttoned halfway down. He combed and gelled his hair and applied the faintest bit of eye liner. He liked the look. Levi knew Eren couldn't see, but it was his trademark look. Next, he debated on cologne. Would it be too much? Too strong? Would it not smell good? After a while, Levi just decided to skip it and wear simple deodorant instead.

He grabbed his pocket size hand sanitizer and sat back on the couch. One hour.

"Fuck it." Levi muttered. It's not the end of the world if he was there early. Maybe he could help. Well that, and see Eren cook. Hopefully. Plus, he was tired of waiting.  
It took about a half hour for him to drive and find a parking spot somewhat close to the dorm. As he approached it he texted Eren to let him know he was here. Not even minute later he replied.

_From Eren_  
5:37  
I'm sending my sister down, I have to finish cooking up here.

Levi raised an eyebrow. His sister? He quelled the disappointment before it even got a chance to rise. A bit later, an Asian looking girl with dark hair stuck her head out of the door, looking around. They made eye contact. Levi raised his eyebrow once more as her eyes scanned him from head to toe. Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you Levi?"

"You must be Eren's sister." He smirked at her. She glared. She held the door open but let it slam on him when he walked in. They took the elevator up. The second Levi stepped out his nose was greeted with a very sweet smelling aroma. He inhaled deeply. God, it smelled good. He followed her to a room in the corner of the building, the kitchen apparently. There were a lot of people waiting at the tables inside but his eyes went straight to Eren. He was at the stove performing magic over food with another girl at his side. Sasha, he recalled. Levi stepped further into the room, not quite sure what to do. He contented himself with staring at Eren's ass. Sadly, that didn't last long. Eren's sister stepped in his view and nodded to an empty chair. Levi smirked at her and moved to a different empty chair. He leaned back and crossed his arms. Eren turned and faced the room.

"Mikasa, did you get him?"

Mikasa snorted.

"I'm not a dog, brat. I'm here."

Eren's head turned towards his voice and a grin broke out on his face. Bright like the sun, Levi thought faintly. Eren set down the utensils in his hands and began to approach him.


	5. Chapter 5

Levi POV

Eren slowly approached him. Levi felt someone lean over and repressed a shudder. They were close. Too close. He turned to snap at them but paused when he saw Armin. Armin gave him a knowing look.

"Go to him, he won't be able to find you easy in here." Armin whispered.

Well, shit. He should have thought of that sooner. Levi jumped to his feet and quickly made his way to Eren.

"Hey." He said, announcing his presence to the brunette. Eren stopped and smiled again.

"Hello. Have any trouble finding your way here?"

"No. Your sister was interesting though."

Eren raised his eyebrows.

"Did she do anything?" He asked in a surprised tone.

"Actually, no. Just tried to be intimidating." Levi replied.

"Tried? I think she is very intimidating."

Levi chuckled.

"She is, in a way. Not to me. Most people find me intimidating."

"Nah, I don't think so."

"Oh? Then how do you find me, then?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow. He swore he saw Eren blush a bit. Or maybe that was just his hopeful imagination. Eren opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.

"Erennn! I need help over here!" Sasha shouted over her shoulder. She also threw an apologetic glance to Levi.

"Oh shit! Coming!" Eren shouted back over his shoulder. He turned to Levi. "I'm sorry, I'll be back." Eren turned and made his way back to Sasha, who had an arm stretched behind her for Eren to find.

"Tch." Levi muttered under his breath. He turned and made eye contact with Mikasa. He smirked, an idea suddenly coming to mind. He found Armin and swiftly walked over. Another boy with a buzz cut sat next to him at the table and an empty seat next to that kid. Levi leaned over Armin just like he had previously.

"A little help here, matchmaker?" He asked. Armin turned his head slightly, a smile forming on his lips.

"What can I do for you, Prince Charming?"

Levi tch'd again but decided to ignore the nickname. Touché.

"Where is Eren sitting?"

Armin smiled even more, teeth showing. He nodded his head over to the corner of the table. An empty chair sat at the end and a tense Mikasa next to it. Levi frowned.

"Can you do anything about guard duty over there?" Levi asked him. Armin chuckled and nodded.

"Back off a bit though." Levi went opposite of Mikasa and waited with arms crossed. Armin raised an arm.

"Hey, Mikasa! Join me over here, don't be a loner!"

Mikasa narrowed her eyes at him and glanced over at Levi, who acted non chalant.

"Why?" She asked. "I'm comfortable here." Armin chuckled.

"Because guess who will sit in the empty seat next to you when he arrives?"

Mikasa's eyebrows furrowed and Armin sighed.

"He has a horse face…" Armin prodded. Her eyes cleared and a disgusted expression came over her face.

"Oh." She looked over at Eren.

"You can keep a better eye on him from here." Armin said. That seemed to do the trick. She nodded and stood, walking around the table to sit on the other side of Armin. He turned to her.

"Mikasa, this is Connie."

Levi tuned out there conversation and quickly took the now unoccupied seat. He snickered when Mikasa glared at him. She began to stand but stopped at Armins hand on her arm. She sent him a betrayed look and he just shrugged with a smile on his face. Mikasa remained seated but sent frowns his way every now and then.

Levi leaned back and continued watching Eren. His hands were flying everywhere; him and Sasha worked in perfect harmony. More people arrived and sat down, filling up the tables fast. Some people brought chips, drinks, and stuff to eat off of. Levi frowned. He didn't bring anything. Was he supposed to?

There was a clapping of hands and everyone fell silent. Eren and Sasha stood side by side, facing the room.

"Dinner is ready!" Sasha announced, her arms thrown up in the air. Eren was grinning, his hands still clasped together from clapping.

"Please serve yourself!" He announced as well. There were cheers as people stood and formed a line. Levi grimaced but joined them.

Eren had already seated himself, with Sasha's help, and had a plate of food in front. He did not begin to eat though, he sat and waited.  
Finally, Levi reached the front of the line, grabbing a plate and fork. There was some sort of alfredo pasta with stuff in the sauce that smelled heavenly. There were also baked potatoes and dressings. And some sort of cold soup fruit looking thing. Once Levi had grabbed all that he wanted, he joined Eren at the table. Eren tilted his head towards him, a frown on his face.

"Not Mikasa." He said. Levi smirked and turned his body towards him, not saying anything. Eren frowned more.

"Levi?"

Levi decided to break his silence.

"Congratulations. Took you only two guesses."

"Yea, well, you seem to have a habit of being silent without a peep." Eren smiled. Levi raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, really?" He drawled. "I can talk a lot if I feel like it." He turned and began to eat, after placing a napkin on his lap of course. He saw Eren cock his head out of the corner of his eye.

"Well then, I can't wait." Eren started digging into his food as well. Levi paused, a fork halfway to his mouth. Then he hid a smile behind his forkful of food.

Eren POV

Things were going smoothly. Levi was here, the food turned out nice, a lot of people showed up… Somehow Levi was sitting next to him. He was sure Armin had something to do with it. He made a mental note to ask him later. A comfortable silence hung between them as they ate, but it was soon broken. Eren heard a quiet moan from the man beside him and he paused, suppressing a shiver from working its way down his spine.

"You can really cook. Damn. Makes everything in my house taste like shit now." Levi stated in a serious tone. Eren flushed and kept facing his plate.

"Sasha and I make a good team."

"Hell yea, you do."

They resumed eating and Eren could feel a smile on his face, It wasn't long before he heard the shuffling of feet behind him and a hand on his shoulder. Mikasa leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"Is the shorty bothering you?" She asked in a serious, semi annoyed tone. Eren struggled to keep from grinning. So. He's short.

"Nope. Things are going great." He whispered back. And he meant it. He was having a lot of fun and he enjoyed Levi's presence. "How's Jean?" Eren heard a deep sigh and then the sound of Mikasa walking away. Things were still a little bit tense between them, but hopefully it would go away in time. Eren decided to remember to tease her about Jean later. It seemed like he wasn't backing off. Eren must have had an amused look on his face because he felt a light nudge in his side.

"Mind sharing whats so funny?" Levi asked, slightly leaning closer to Eren. He recalled Mikasa calling him short and turned his face away, hiding his expression.

"It's nothing." He tried to say casually. He failed.

Eren felt hot breath on his ear and heard a deep, velvety voice.

"You're lying…" Levi whispered teasingly. This time Eren couldn't prevent the shiver and it made Levi laugh softly. He heard him lean away, back into his seat. Eren really tried committing the laugh to memory. He really liked that laugh. He felt his face heat up. Shit.  
The rest of dinner passed with small but casual conversation led by, of course, Eren. After dinner, everyone except Eren and Sasha cleaned up the food and washed the dishes.

People started saying their goodbyes and leaving the kitchen with full bellies and sighs of contentment. Eren heard someone approach him. He was beginning to recognize the soft footfalls of Levi. He smiled.

"Want me to walk you to the door?"

"How did you know it was me?" Levi asked incredulously. Eren held out an arm.

"I'm psychic." He heard a snort. Levi carefully took Eren's arm and led him out into the hallway. On the ride down in the elevator he turned to Levi.

"So. Next Saturday?" He asked tentatively. A hand on his arm tightened slightly.

"I'll make sure I'm free."

Eren grinned.

"You're smiling like I just gave you a puppy." Levi remarked.

"I'm smiling cuz I'm happy." He replied. Levi remained silent until they were outside of the building. Eren could easily get back in with his id, he checked that he had it before he let the door close. They stood side by side, neither moving or speaking; neither wanting to leave.

Eren swallowed nervously, an idea forming in his mind.

"Spit it out, kid. You look constipated."

Eren snorted, but then hesitated. He turned so his body was facing Levi.

"I, uh, have a question."

"Obviously." Came Levi's sarcastic reply. Eren bit his lip.

"Can I see what you look like?" There. He finally asked. Eren waited anxiously.

"Huh?"

"Oh, right, uh… Can I, um…" Eren raised his hands a bit and wiggled his fingers. "See what you look like?" He asked again. He heard a soft "oh…" of realization. There was only silence. He jumped when he felt soft fingers encircling his wrist. They slowly pulled his hands down slightly. Levi placed Eren's palms on his face. Eren hesitated once more, but then decided to just fuck it.

He let his fingers roam. Levi had a small nose and sharp cheekbones. His thumbs ghosted over closed eyelids and ventured down to slide over a soft and supple mouth. He could feel Levi shiver beneath his touch. Eren swallowed thickly and felt a blush begin on his neck and ears. Levi had soft skin and even softer hair that was kind of long and wavy. All in all, Eren's fingers painted a very handsome face in his mind. Well, as much as possible. When he was done, he let his hands slide to their original position. Levi leaned into his hands the slightest bit and sighed gently.

Eren grudgingly removed his hands, dropping them down in front of him. He forgot that Levi was still holding his wrists, so when he dropped his hands they slide into Levi's. Eren gasped slightly and jerked his hands back.

"Sorry." He muttered. But before he could pull his hands back, Levi gripped them even tighter.

"Text me." Levi said softly before releasing him and stepping back. Eren smiled and heard retreating footsteps. He was probably blushing like crazy. It was night though. It's supposed to be dark, right? Maybe he didn't notice. Eren turned and went back into the dorm. On the elevator up, he pulled out his phone and paused. He quickly sent off a text before he could lose his nerves.

_To Levi,_  
10:37  
Coffee tomorrow?


	6. Chapter 6

Levi POV

Levi finally had his inspiration for his landscape project. It came to mind the second he got home after the dinner with Eren, his face still tingling from his touch. Even though it was late, Levi grabbed his supplies and settled down for a long night.

His brush stroked over the canvas, smearing a beautiful blue. Minutes later a little green was added to it. It was an emerald green color that covered more than half the space. It was the ocean. The color of Eren's eyes lit up by a setting sun with a red tinge, the color of his lips. The colors mixed and shined, shimmering like happiness within eyes of a boy that wouldn't leave Levi's mind. The fading sky was free of clouds, free of melancholy as the rays stretched across. They seemed to be stretching to anyone who looked at it. To warm them up, instill a sense of contentment, a sense of protection and love.

His arm never wavered and neither did his softened gaze. Seven hours later all motion stopped and his body drooped. It was done. Levi stood, rubbing at his dry, irritated eyes, not looking at the painting. It was a rule he set for himself long ago. He would not look at it when his mind and hands decided it was finished. If he did, he would nit pick at it, change things, ruin things. He would look later. But early that morning, with the first rays of dawn creeping in, he was tempted to break his golden rule for the first time. But he didn't. He crashed on the couch and set an alarm for an hour nap, leaving time for a shower before heading to his class.

Once he closed his eyes his mind zapped wide awake. He was exhausted and sleep deprived, but his mind had other ideas.

"Damn fucking insomnia." He muttered, rolling onto his stomach. He is finally able to rest and he can't fall asleep.

So he recalls last night's events. The delicious dinner and Eren. He thought about when Eren asked if he could "see" him.

_"Can I see what you look like?" An eager yet anxious brat asked of him. Levi was utterly confused, isn't he blind?_

_"Huh?" He managed to say. Not the most intelligent response, but oh well. Eren looked embarrassed and brought up his hands in a rush, stumbling over his words._

_"Oh, right, uh… Can I, um…" Eren wiggled his fingers for emphasis. Ohhhhh. "See". Levi understood now. The brat wanted to feel his face to "see" what he looks like. Oh. Levi could feel the blush spread over his face. He looked up at Eren, feeling a bit awkward. Eren looked like he was about to turn tail and run; maybe he felt as awkward as Levi. Or not. This is how he looks at people. Before either of them could make a decision they might regret, Levi reached up and gently grabbed Eren's wrists. The brunette jumped at his touch and Levi cursed silently at himself. He pulled the hands down and set them on his face. He saw Eren swallow thickly before Levi closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of his hands._

_Soft and gentle fingers danced over his face and a bit into his hair. Levi relaxed under his touch and shivered when a light touch stroked over his lips. Far too soon the exploring stopped and the hands rested back where he set them. Levi sighed and unconsciously leaned into his touch. The hands were removed and Levi opened his eyes, quelling his disappointment._

_Eren dropped his hands, sliding them right into Levi's. A shock went through his body and he heard a gasp and a muttered apology. Without thinking he gripped Eren's hands tight, not letting him go, not wanting to lose their connection. Levi looked up into a surprised face. His eyes lingered on the lips so close to his. He hesitated, doubting himself. He resisted._

_"Text me." Levi told him, releasing his hands unwillingly. He missed the brats smile as he turned and made a hopefully not so hasty retreat. He had to leave. Now. Before he grabbed the brunettes shirt and yanked him down into a kiss. Levi returned home with doubts and desire swirling around in his mind._

Levi sighed and rolled onto his side. Half an hour. Half a fucking hour and he was still awake. After another couple minutes, he gave up. He decided to shower and eat breakfast in his extra time. It wasn't until after he was dressed he noticed he had a text. He cursed his stupidity when he saw how much time passed. Coffee? Oh yea. With Eren? Fuck yea. Today? Hell yea.

Eren POV

Eren sat in class with Armin. He knew he was supposed to be paying attention, but he couldn't care less. Their bet was already over and he got shitty sleep. He worried all damn night about the text he sent Levi. It's been hours and hours with no reply. He told me to text him. And Eren did. But no reply.

He sighed and ran his hand through his messy hair. After numerous times of pushing fingers through the strands all morning it was unbrushable. He felt a poke in his side and held back another sigh. He was in a horrendous mood and was trying his hardest not to take it out on his closest friends. Eren slightly tilted his head towards Armin, hearing him lean up and over in his seat.

"You're going to blow away the professor with all your huffing and puffing. What's got your panties in a knot?"

Eren huffed out a soft laugh.

"My panties are not in a knot."

"Oh? So you admit wearing panties?"

"Fuck. Armin… I DON'T wear panties for goodness sake…"

"You sure?"

"Actually no. Who helped me buy my under clothing last? If it was you there might be a slight possibility…"

"Stop avoiding my question, Eren."

"Fuck." Eren let out a sigh this time and frowned. He didn't really want to tell Armin. It wasn't that he didn't trust his best friend, he was just very insecure with himself and he didn't want to put Armin in that position as a consoler. Another poke to the side.

"Patience is a virtue, Armin."

"With you it's not. Is it about Levi?"

Silence.

"Bingooo. What's the problem, Eren? He looked like he was going to fuck you over the table last night."

Eren covered his gasp with his hand to muffle it, leaning back from Armin. He could not believe he just said that.

"Eren you're blushing."

"Shut the fuck up."

Armin chuckled beside him.

"Too much?"

"I can't believe you said that." Eren was still in shock. He was trying his best to not imagine what his friend suggested. He didn't want to pop an awkward boner in the middle of class.

"I hate you…" Eren mumbled.

"Soooo?" Armin prodded. Eren grumbled at him.

"Fine." Eren ran a hand through his hair yet again. "He told me to text him, so I did, and he hasn't replied or anything." Armin lightly smacked him on the forehead. Eren frowned and rubbed at it. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Because you're an idiot. Maybe he went to bed early and hasn't woken up yet. It's still early in the morning." Armin smacked him again but on the shoulder this time. "Fucking idiot. Don't worry over it yet." Eren leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

Armin didn't even hesitate to smack him. He thought he was being an idiot right off the bat. Maybe it wasn't something to worry about. Yet, anyways. Maybe he was being stupid. Eren relaxed and worked on pushing his worries out of his mind. He didn't remember a word of the lecture.

The second class ended, Eren was pulling out his phone.

_"One new text from: Levi."_He sighed in relief.

_"Looking forwards to it. The Corps, 3:00?"_Eren smiled.

"Reply. See you soon. Send."

"See? I told you not to worry." A voice spoke over his shoulder. Eren jumped.

"Armin! Did you hear it?"

"Of course not. The goofy grin on your face is obvious enough." Armin scoffed.

"I don't grin goofy."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't!"

Eren grabbed at Armin before they parted ways. His arm snagged a shoulder and Armin paused.

"No creepy stalking me this time. Capiche?"

"Awww….."

"Armin."

"Alright…" Armin sighed. He slapped Eren's shoulder. "Go get 'em tiger." Before Eren could retort Armin walked off. That sarcastic little shit. Eren shook his head.

The day dragged on and on. Eren made sure to pay attention in his next classes. The last thing he needed was to fall behind because he couldn't stop mooning over someone for an hour or so.

Three o'clock found Eren trudging into the coffee shop like a zombie. He heard a heavenly chuckle surround him.

"Tired?" Levi asked. Eren grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "Caramel frappicino?"

Eren smiled at the voice. "Yea."

"Double shots of coffee?"

"Hell yea."

Levi chuckled at him again before shuffling around and making his drink. Eren closed his eyes as he waited against the counter. He only opened them when he felt a gentle hand on his arm and the soft footfalls next to him. He raised a hand and his cold drink was soon pressed into it. He smiled at Levi again as he was pulled towards a table.

"So why are you so tired?"

Eren cocked an eyebrow at the man across from him. Levi starting a conversation? A light kick to his shin made him grin.

"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"Not much better." A slight pause. "Sorry it took so long to reply. I got caught up in one of my art assignments."

Eren hid another smile behind his drink.

"What was the assignment about?"

"I had to paint a landscape."

"Ah. How long did it take?"

"Seven hours."

Eren choked.

"Seven hours?! Holy shit. You probably got less sleep then me."

"Eh. Who knows."

Both sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence for a bit. Although Eren was comfortable with being blind, there were some things he wished he could see. Like art. Or a smile. The lighting up of someones eyes as they laughed, or a sun setting. The glowing embers of a fire or the explosion of fireworks.

"What did you paint? Or draw?" Eren asked, curious. Levi cleared his throat and shuffled a bit.

"I uh, painted the ocean at sunset."

Eren smiled softly. That was another thing he wished to look upon. The rolling and shining waves of the deep blue sea. Sea gulls flying above it and boats fishing out on the horizon. Eren has read all about the things in books, words describing sights he could not see. A gentle hand on his face brought him back to reality.

"Oh, um, sorry?" The thumb gently stroking the skin under his eye was impeding his ability to think clearly. Levi withdrew his hand, leaving his cheek cold and tingling.

"You spaced out there. Was it something I said?"

Eren ducked his head and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.

"Kind of. It's just that… Going to the ocean is something I've always wanted to do ever since I was a kid. Sorry about that."

Levi's foot tapped his under the table.

"Don't worry about it."

Eren smiled and tapped his foot back against Levi's. He heard Levi shift and lean over closer.

"Hey, Eren, have you ever thought of playing music?"

Eren tilted his head in confusion. The thought hasn't occurred to him recently. When he was a child he was desperate to be able to create something beautiful. he couldn't paint or draw because of his sight.

"Not really. My mother tried getting me into playing a violin when I was young, but it didn't work out. I couldn't connect notes and the strings together in my mind."

"And you haven't tried since then?"

Eren shook his head. "No. Why would I?" He heard Levi stand. Eren frowned, completely confused with what was going on.

"Do you trust me, Eren?"Levi asked in a voice that sounded like he had a mischievous plan in mind.

Eren blinked up at where his voice was coming from. Did he? He barely knew Levi.

"Yes."

"Ok then. I'm holding my hand out to you. Coming?"

Eren felt excitement bubble up inside. This was unexpected. This was daring. He was willing to place his trust in Levi, let him take Eren farther than just a small setting. Something he allowed only his closest friends and sister. Eren grinned and reached up a hand. Levi's grasped his searching hand firmly and pulled him out of the seat.

"Hey, Petra-" Levi shouted over his shoulder.

"I've got the rest of your shift. Go have fun!" A soft and gentle voice called back. Levi excitedly tugged Eren out of the coffee shop and down the sidewalk. His hand left Eren's momentarily to weave an arm through his before grabbing his hand once more. Eren relaxed and let Levi take him somewhere. Not much later they were pushing through a door into a quiet shop.

"Moblit?" Levi called out.

"Ahh, Levi! I haven't seen you here in quite a while." A pause. "Oh my. Who is this young man here?"

Eren raised a hand in a wave. "I'm Eren."

"Oh." Moblit said softly before walking over and grabbing his hand and shaking it. Eren raised his eyebrows. Looks like this man saw that he was blind almost instantly. "A pleasure to meet you." He told Eren.

"Moblit." Levi said, gaining his attention. "Can I use one of the back rooms for a bit?"

"Of course. Anytime."

Levi was tugging at him again. He closed a door softly behind them, isolating all sound. Eren gasped slightly and turned in circles, marveling at the difference in sound. It was utterly silent in the room, not a spec of sound from outside. He reached out a hand and touched a wall. It felt weird.

"Sound proof room. No one can hear anything from the outside."

Eren turned to Levi's voice.

"Amazing." He whispered. Levi laughed at him and grabbed his hand again.

"This isn't what I wanted to show you." He pulled Eren further into the room and sat him down on a bench. Levi then sat next to him, letting their thighs touch. He could practically hear Levi hesitate before he placed a hand over Eren's. His hand was lifted and gently placed them on something cold. He pressed down, a note singing out.

"A piano?" Eren asked. "You know how to play?" Levi moved his fingers over Eren's on the keys.

"My mother taught me." He said softly. There was pain in his voice, a pain that was still fresh. Eren suspected that his lack of presence here, as mentioned by Moblit, had something to do with that freshness. Levi's hand on top of his tensed. "Do you want to learn how to play?"

Eren bit his lip, pondering over the question. Could he really learn? Could he really create beautiful music and weave it through the air? Piano seemed like something precious and dear to Levi, and the fact he was willing to share it with Eren made his heart race. He flipped his hand and entwined his fingers with Levi's.

"Sure." He smiled and said just as softly as Levi had before. Levi squeezed his hand before tapping with one of his fingers, signaling for Eren to flip it back over. He did.

The next two hours went by quickly. Levi taught him a bit about the right hand, the treble clef part of piano playing. He learned the names of the keys, where they were. He learned about sharps and flats. He mapped out the piano with his fingers and how to press the keys down gentle or hard. Levi's soft hand and voice guided him the entire time, completely patient with him. Levi taught him slowly and carefully in a way that Eren actually understood. Eren was so excited he was learning that when they were done he threw his arms around Levi without thinking. He realized what he did seconds later and a body tensing in his arms.

"Oh shit." He jerked back. "Sorr-" Levi's hands were cradling his face and a thumb rested over his lips, silencing him. He heard Levi shift and a leg brush his until he was straddling the bench and facing Eren. Eren could feel himself blushing, still unable to say anything. Levi's thumb moved until both were gently stroking the sides of his face. Eren's eyes drooped. The fingers left trails of fire over his skin. The motions stopped and suddenly Levi's lips were on his. Eren tensed, surprised a bit. Then he relaxed into the kiss, his eye lids fluttering closed and his lips began to dance with Levi's. One of his hands ended up weaving itself into Levi's soft hair and the other rested on his chest.

They parted for breath and Levi rested his forehead on Eren's. The thumbs resumed their soothing movement. Eren sighed and leaned into Levi. A thumb came down and brushed over his lips once more, following its curvature.

"You're smiling." Levi spoke quietly.

"Like you just gave me a puppy?"

Levi chuckled.

"Shitty brat."

Eren's hand was still behind Levi's head, tangled in his hair. He pulled Levi in for another kiss that lasted longer than the first but was just as sweet.

Minutes later found Eren resting his head on Levi's shoulder, face buried in his neck. Levi had his face resting on Eren's head. Their arms were around each other. Eren sighed in contentment and Levi's arms tightened and pulled him closer.

"You going to fall asleep on me brat?"

"Mmm." Eren mumbled, his lips brushing against skin. Levi shivered.

"I should take you home." He whispered into Eren's hair. Eren nodded reluctantly. They untangled from each other and Levi pulled Eren up. "Should we continue tomorrow?"

Eren smiled and nodded again. Levi pulled him in for a chaste kiss before they walked back to the coffee shop. Levi drove Eren back to his dorm and dropped him off with a promise to text him. Eren returned to his room in a happy daze. He collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Eren POV

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

Eren groaned and rolled over, his hand searching for his phone.

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

"Motherfucking…" Both of his hands were searching towards the noise.

"Here."

Eren jumped at Armin's voice so close to him. He held out a hand and felt his now silent phone pressed into it. He hesitated, remembering the tone in his friend's voice. A cautionary tone with an underlying layer of scolding. Armin sighed before heading over and crawling back into bed.

"What time is it?" Eren asked groggily.

"Why don't you check your phone?" Armin countered. Yup. He has a good idea who called. Eren reluctantly pulled his phone up to his ear.

_"One missed call from: Dad."_Eren pressed a button. _"One missed call at: 4:34 am."_

"Four thirty in the fucking morning?!" Armin grumbled from across the room. Why would he call so early? To get me to pick it up and not realize who was calling? Or is it an emergency? Eren thought to himself, his phone clutched in his hand. After a few minutes of debate he decided to ignore his Dad. As usual. If it really was an emergency he would either call again or call Mikasa, who would then come over and get him.

Eren set his phone on the nightstand and snuggled into his sheets. For another four hours he clenched his eyes shut and tried to not remember. Instead he focused on the good memories of his mother.

_Eren kneeled in the dirt, the coolness of it soaking through his pants. He reached out and brushed his chubby, little fingers over something slightly fuzzy._

_"Mommy? What's this?"_

_A hand covered his own and showed his fingers the leaves and the stem of a plant._

_"This is peppermint."_

_Eren wrinkled his nose._

_"But it doesn't really smell like it."_

_His mother laughed beside him, pinching his fingers together and pulling off a leaf. Eren gasped._

_"Mommy, did I kill it?!"_

_"No, sweetheart. Just took a bit. With water and love it will grow another." She placed the leaf in his palm. "Now, put it in your mouth and chew it. But don't swallow. Spit it out when you're done. Do you understand?"_

_'Yes, Mommy. No swallowing." Eren placed the leaf on his tongue and the flavor exploded in his mouth. It was sharp, making his mouth and eyes water. But his nose tingled and cleared, and he could smell things so much better. Then it faded, leaving a dull and slight pepperminty taste. He spit _

_it out and clapped his hands._

_"Another, another!"_

_Her laughter echoed around him once more as she picked him up in her strong arms._

_"Maybe another day, little one."_

Eren sighed and shifted his position under the covers because his back was cramping. He recalled a conversation he had with his mom three years ago.

_Eren walked through the door, just getting home from school._

_"I'm home!" He shouted out, like he did every day._

_"Hi, honey." His mother called back, like she did every day._

_Eren frowned. Not again… For the third day in a row, his mother had sounded melancholy. He sought her out, hands trailing on familiar walls._

_"Mom?"_

_"In the kitchen, sweetie."_

_And, again. She tended to bake when she felt down. He walked in to the warm smell of brownies. He inhaled with a small smile._

_"Yummmm…." He stretched out a hand, which his mother soon took. Her hand felt gritty and he lifted it to his nose._

_"Flour?"_

_She chuckled quietly. "I'm making a mess in here."_

_Eren didn't know how to broach the topic. He didn't even know what the topic was._

_"Mom?" He carefully asked._

_"Yes, dear?"_

_He pulled her hand up to his face, setting her palm on his cheek._

_"Why are you sad?" He heard her breath hitch in her throat and she pulled her hand away. He reached his up and placed it on her neck, his way of asking to see her face. She sighed and leaned into his touch, her signal for yes. His hand explored up to feel a frown, more flour and some dough on her cheeks, and swollen bags of skin under her eyes. Her eyes themselves weren't puffed, thankfully, meaning she hadn't been crying recently. "Mom?" He prompted. She placed a hand on his and squeezed gently._

_"Me and your father just aren't getting along right now. We are going through a hard time." His heart clenched and fear wormed its way in._

_"Are you… Are you guys getting divorced?" His mother stiffened under his touch and she suddenly pulled him into a hug._

_"No! Nonono! We aren't, sweetheart. I'm so sorry to worry you like that. No, we aren't getting a divorce." She hugged him tightly and he relaxed in her arms. Her voice rang out truth and honesty. He was relieved._

_After a few days, things seemed to clear up and the tension in the house disappeared. Playful banter between his parents resumed and things seemed normal. Then a week later everything went to hell and his mother was taken from him._

Eren gave up on even trying to sleep, and opted to just keep his eyes open and let his brain wake. He curled up on himself as dark thoughts weaseled their way into his head. He checked the time. 6:27 am. He has to get up at eight. But oh well.

Eren climbed out of bed and felt his way to the bathroom. He opened the medicine cabinet, his fingers searching for something he hadn't needed in a long time. He hesitated before popping open the prescription bottle. Why couldn't his dad just leave him alone? He obviously needs time and space. Yes, it's been about three years, but grief doesn't fade so easy. And neither does sadness. Eren took the prescribed depression pills and swallowed them down with water from the sink. The water left a chlorine-ish taste in his mouth.

"Disgusting…" He muttered to himself. He pulled on some random clothes, only knowing that they were dark in color, before he grabbed his cane and backpack and left the room. He really didn't feel like going to class today. Well, actually, he didn't feel like doing anything today at all. But if he stayed in the room he knew he would just get depressed and think of things he really didn't want to. And Armin would notice, again, and then he would tell Mikasa and that would start a huge explosion of concern. She would urge him to go to back to counseling or some shit. He just didn't want to deal with anyone or anything right now.

So he went to the library, plugging in his music and blasting it into his brain. There was a small café in the entrance that was always open early. He sat there, drinking coffee and playing with his phone until it was time to go to class. While he was waiting he texted Levi. Eren needed to talk to him. Needed to feel normal and happy. But he had no idea how to go about introducing Levi to his past. Maybe it was too soon… Eren wasn't even sure if they were officially dating or anything. They shared a few kisses, that's it. He decided to wait. Levi can hear it another day.

_To Levi_  
7:03 am  
Want to meet up for coffee again?

By the time Eren got out of class, Levi still hadn't replied. Probably not even awake yet. Lucky bastard. Eren was walking to his next class. There was no point in going back to the dorm, by the time he got there he would have to turn around and leave anyways. He usually just sat outside the building until fifteen minutes before it started.

Voices around him faded as he turned onto the field. It was a stretch of grass in the middle of four buildings where students hung out or threw frisbies around. But it was the morning so it was pretty empty. He liked walking across, using it as a shortcut. He didn't have to deal with as much people anyways. But he only did it in the morning, when people usually weren't playing any sports. He would be able to hear the shouting, running of feet, and panting breaths if they were.

"Eren!"

He jerked his head up and froze. He knew that voice. Ohhh shit. He thought about pretending he didn't hear, but realized it was far too late. He was already stopped. Eren swallowed thickly and turned around.

Levi POV

Things had gone wonderful yesterday, Levi recalled as he ate breakfast, ever so slowly waking up. He hadn't intended to molest Eren yesterday in the sound proof room. Levi paused. Well. That sounded perverted. He hadn't intended to _kiss_, he corrected himself, Eren yesterday. It just happened. When the brat turned to him a grin on his face and cheeks red, all excited and throwing his arms around him.

Levi was surprised at the hug, he wasn't a very touchy feely person. But it had felt warm, it felt right. And when Eren had pulled away to apologize, Levi just couldn't let him. And one thing led to another.

Levi smiled to himself. He was alone. He allowed his lips to curve. He was happy that Eren hadn't pushed him away. He was happy that Eren had similar feelings. He couldn't wait to see him again. The world seemed so much brighter with the brunette around.

Levi got ready for a long day, dressing in comfortable cloths and grabbing brewed coffee. He always drank black coffee. Like his soul.

Levi chuckled to himself and went out the door. Right as it closed he realized he forgot his phone. Cursing he twirled around and struggled with his keys to unlock it again. He saw a light flashing when he picked it up. He cursed again, seeing how long ago Eren had texted him.

_To Eren_  
7:40 am  
Definitely. 2:00 again?

Levi sat in class, bored out of his mind. The professor was droning on and on about past painters that Levi didn't care about. He just wanted to paint in his own style. He pulled out his phone and discreetly checked it. He frowned. It was already 8:00 and no response from Eren. He usually replied right away. He shrugged and pocketed the phone, leaning his chin on his palm as he pretended to take notes. Halfway through the class his phone began buzzing in his pocket. He tilted it and looked down.

"Eren…" He murmered. Why on earth was he calling him? Levi was apprehensive as he walked quickly out of the classroom to answer the call.

His heart plummeted when he heard a panicked female voice on the other line.

Eren POV

"Hello, Dad." Heavy footsteps walked to stand in front of him.

"Hello, son." A deep voice replied. A voice that sent chills down his spine. Why? He had no fucking clue. "You've been ignoring me." His dad continued. And oh boy, he did not sound happy. Eren swallowed again.

"I told you. I just need time and space."

"What, from me? Or memories of your mother?"

"I just…. Need space, alright?"

He heard his father huff.

"How am I the problem? What did I ever do?"

Months and months of pent up anger boiled in the back of his mind.

"You married another woman shortly after the funeral of your wife!" He snapped. His father sighed again.

"I'm not allowed to be happy? Is that what you're saying?"

Eren clenched his fists. "No, that's not what I'm saying. Your wife was murdered and barely in the ground before you found someone else to replace her. Did you even grieve?"

"I did not replace your mother! And of course I grieved!" He growled at Eren.

"When? When did you grieve? When you arrived drunk to the funeral and gave a shitty speech? Did you grieve when you ignored me? Did you grieve when you only came home to sleep smelling like alcohol? Did you grieve when you fucked another woman?" Eren was suddenly yanked forwards, his father fist gripping his shirt. He could feel rank, hot breath wash over his face.

"Shut up." His father warned. Eren stupidly ignored it.

"Oh look. Your breath doesn't reek of booze. What an achievement. Mary must have really done a number on you." His father shook Eren.

"I said, shut up!"

"I had to feed myself, look after myself. Mikasa was the only one who cared to help, and I barely knew her." Eren spoke softly, anger dissipating bit by bit. "Did you even realize how depressed I got? My friends did. If they hadn't intervened, who knows where I would be now." His father said nothing. "Maybe I would be in the ground, next to Mom. Would you then replace me with another son?"

Silence fell between them, only filled by heavy, angered breaths from his father.

"I already have." He spoke just as soft as Eren had.

Eren froze. "What?" He whispered. His father released his shirt and stepped back.

"Mary is pregnant."

Eren felt like he was going to puke.

"Then why come here? Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

"I will never leave you alone! I will never let you go!" He spat out. Eren furrowed his brows in confusion.

"But why?"

His father inhaled deeply and replied in a broken voice. "It's your fault. It's all your fault." Shock buzzed through Eren, raising the hairs on his arms. All feeling drained out of him until he was empty, numb.

"What?" He whispered again. "How… How is it my fault she died?" His father heaved sob, his breath shaky.

"She loved you so much. She loved more than me!" His voice changed. "Her _precious_son, oh so perfect since the day you were born. Well," He sneered, "Until you were blind." Eren was gasping quietly, his heart racing.

"What?" He sounded like a broken record. He heard a step forwards.

"You dare ignore me." His father said darkly. "You're coming home, son." A hand grabbed his shirt again. Fear choked his throat.

"Let go." He said in a shaky voice.

"No." His father laughed at him.

"I'll start screaming." He leaned close to Eren's face again.

"No you won't. Or I'll-" Eren didn't give him a chance to finish. He started screaming.

"HELP!" His father jerked back and cursed, releasing his shirt. He heard shouts in the distance. He sighed in relief. Until pain exploded across the side of his face and he fell backwards. He sat in shock. His father punched him. He actually punched him. He lifted shaky fingers to the swelling skin on his cheek. Eren heard running all around him and someone suddenly kneeling beside him. He flinched away.

"Hey, hey, it's alright. My name's Krista." A female voice spoke to him reassuringly. "Don't worry, ok? He's gone. Some other boys are chasing after him."

Eren still sat in shocked silence, his hand still raised to his face. He flinched again when a hand settled on his shoulder. Krista quickly withdrew it.

"What's your name?" No response. "Do I need to call 911?" No response. "Is there someone I can call for you?" She sounded really worried now. Eren didn't care. He just wanted to forget what just happened. He barely felt it when his phone was pulled from his pocket or hear someone else kneeling across from him.

"Is he all right?"

"I don't think so, it's like he's gone catatonic or something." He didn't see the hand waving in front of his face or hear the fingers snapping in his ear.

"Ymir!" Krista hissed. "He can't see!"

"Oh."

"Ymir, look. He texted this Levi guy. Let's call him." By that point, Eren had pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in his arms. The two girls fell silent. He heard whispers all around him. He felt like he was being scrutinized. He squeezed his eyes shut and put hands over his hears. Now he was left to the voices in his head. Echoes and snatches of the conversation he just had with his father.

_"Your fault."_

_"All your fault."_

And suddenly he was being pulled into familiar arms. Warm, safe arms.

"Eren…" Levi whispered into his hair. Eren wrapped arms around him and pulled him closer, burying his face into his shirt, right over his heartbeat.

"What happened?" Levi demanded in an angry tone. Krista spoke up.

"I'm not sure. He was arguing with some big guy and then he started screaming for help."

"Then the dude punched him in the face." Ymir added.

The hand on his back moved around until there were fingers under his chin, slowly tilting his face up. There was sharp intake of breath as his thumb gently brushed over the bruise.

"Did anyone catch the fucking bastard or see who he was?"

Eren tensed when he heard a chorus of "No"'s and "He got away". Levi tightened his arms around him. Levi swore under his breath and carefully pulled Eren to his feet.

"Come on, let's get you home."

_"Home. You're coming home, son."_

Eren tensed again and pulled against Levi's grip, which only got tighter around his waist.

"You want to stay at my place for now?" Levi asked softly. Eren stilled and relaxed. He nodded into Levi's chest. "Alright, let's go." He pulled away only to weave his arm with Eren's and grab his hand.

"Wait!" Ymir called out. Levi paused.

"Here's our numbers if you need us to be witnesses or anything."

"Thanks." Levi replied. Eren felt his arm move, probably to grab a paper.

Everything after that went by in a blur. Levi led him to his car and brought him somewhere. The last thing he remembers is being led to a couch before falling asleep.


End file.
